Posted 7 years ago on Dec. 21, 2011, 4:21 p.m. EST by BlueRose
(1437)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

It is fact, some people just do not regard animals as things that suffer. Some cultures/religions think people have dominion over animals, and can they can therefore exploit animals at will. Animals have their "place" in society, and even with scientific advances, their plight is often worse, not better. If we can teach people to care about animals instead of supporting greed and superficial convenience, maybe they will look upon children, the homeless, and workers more sympathetically?

Let us teach people to spend their money more ethically, let them start with refusing to buy fur, and stop supporting celebrities who wear fur. This seems the easiest place to start.

Then we can educate people about the horrendous cruelty of factory farms and puppy mills. This will help people stand up to greed and become responsible consumers.

Children should learn to have empathy for animals, I have heard of school programs that do this. Families might sponsor a shelter animal, or become a foster, or help neuter a stray cat.

And PLEASE, do not let your cat have kittens to show your kids "the miracle of birth", this is outrageously irresponsible. Don't breed or buy from pet stores or breeders while shelter pets die either.

Can you do one small thing for animals this Christmas, perhaps donate blankets or money to a shelter, or eat a vegan meal, or take that bird with a broken wing to a rescue group?

42 Comments

I came across an eye-opening statistic about beef production a few weeks ago. Although it doesn't concern animal cruelty, I though some of you might find it interesting. Sorry I didn't bother to convert it to pounds and gallons, but I still think the point will be clear: to produce one kilo of beef (2.2 pounds) requires 10 kilos of fertilizer, 30 liters of oil, 15,000 to 70,000 liters of water and produces 4 metric tons of greenhouse gases. Something to think about next time you go buy Quarter-Pounders from McDonalds to feed your family of four.

It's a good idea to grow your own meat, if you don't live in the city of course. The animals we have are free range and live happy lives until they reach maturity. We even name our hogs, even though most people would not do this. They all have interesting personalities, until of course, their time is up. If a person does not like to eat meat, I understand, and do not judge. I like bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich.

I am a meat-eater but, like you, don't judge people who aren't. I fully understand where they're coming from. Free-range is the way to go. Sounds like you're doing it right. I'm not sure if the statistics I quoted refer to all beef or just factory farms however. Possibly an average?

It would be a lot easier on the environment, and more effective use of land, to focus more on poultry and fish and less on beef. That came out as one of several points in a study in Scientific American.
Leave the tofu for the prison system

I imagine a lot of the expense also comes from the fact that so much beef is imported and/or is transported great distances before it winds up on our dinner plates. Actually, this applies to most if not all our food nowadays. It's crazy. If we would go back to producing more stuff locally, food especially, the savings both financially and environmentally, would be substantial.

You can't help animals because babies are dying? That make absolutely no sense. Stand up to greed, learn to ethically consume, and you will see both animals and children better cared for. Perhaps you need real facts?

"There is more than enough food in the world to feed the entire human population. So why are more than a billion people still going hungry? Our meat-based diet is largely to blame. We funnel huge amounts of grain, soybeans, and corn through all the animals we use for food instead of feeding starving humans."

Please except my apology for my rude answer to your, post- i just edited it- sorry-
You are correct- If the worlds population of rich and greedy !% didn't take so much of the worlds production , there would be more then enough, food for everyone- If humans ate the food that they fed the animals - there would be 12 times as much food (calories) available, and the humans would be healthier with a lower disease rate.
In the united states more corn is used for menthol ( car fuel ) then for food, that we used to feed to humans.
I have seen meat chickens- that lay on the ground from birth to death (can't stand)- who suffer horribly for nothing other then to make more profit.
Our beef, are fed only corn, so that the e-coli bacteria in their gut is so virulent that they have to feed them antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to slaughter- even with antibiotics none can live longer then two years old. --------------------------------------------------------------

I'll request that the biggest turkey be captured. Then I will have it decapitated, pull out all the feathers, dismember it and cook it up and eat it. Then I will look for a nice pink pig. I will request that they brutally slaughter it so I can have some ham and bacon for breakfast.
Merry christmas